Homage to Shakyamuni the Great Sage
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
When we take Refuge in the Buddha, we take a pledge to start the incredible journey of realising the cause of all sufferings does not arise from others but from ourselves. Hence when we accept the doctrine of karma, we stop blaming others and start taking responsibility for our own actions. Karma is not fatalistic in that whatever you are in life, you are stuck. In fact, it is the opposite. Whatever you are can be changed, made better, improved and grow. Karma is not a doctrine to lock you in and increase fatalistic thinking. In fact, it is very liberating when you actually think about it deeply. Liberating because nothing is permanent and everything can be improved. You can do it. If you follow the path of Dharma, you will improve everything in your life. No reason to be depressed, sad or feel stuck. Karma liberates you by telling you the truth. The truth is that you are the author of all that comes in your way. So stop complaining. Get yourself going and plan what you want to achieve.
Tsem Rinpoche
The Life Story of Shakyamuni Buddha
Anyone can be a Buddha. Buddha is a person who is awake, someone who has realised the true nature of reality. In a simpler word, someone who is free of hate, greed and ignorance. Moreover, Buddha is extremely compassionate and selfless, he benefits all sentient beings unconditionally.
Birth, Childhood and Growing Up
Before Buddha Shakyamuni became enlightened, he was a prince called Siddhartha Gautama, meaning “He Who Achieves His Goal”. About 2,500 years ago, Prince Siddhartha was born to King Suddhodana and Queen Maya of the Shakya clan in today’s Lumbini, Nepal. It is said that when Prince Siddhartha was conceived, Queen Maya dreamt of a six-tusked white elephant entered her right side. This dream indicated that the baby was not an ordinary, but a pure and powerful being. Ten months later, Queen Maya gave birth to the baby without experiencing pain which was very unusual. Unfortunately, seven days after Queen Maya gave birth to Prince Siddhartha, she passed away. Since then, it was Queen Maya’s sister, Maha Pajapati who took care of Prince Siddhartha like her own son.
When Prince Siddhartha was still a baby, some holy men predicted he would grow up to be a great king or a great spiritual leader. Worried that Prince Siddhartha might pursue the spiritual path, King Suddhodana did not let Prince Siddhartha out of the palace and surrounded him with all the good things everyone would wish for. When Prince Siddhartha was 16 years old, King Suddhodana arranged Prince Siddhartha to marry his cousin, Yasodhara. Later, Yasodhara gave birth to their only son, Rahula.
Discovering Sufferings
After many years spending only inside the palace, Prince Siddhartha finally got the permission from the father to go outside the palace to visit the city. It was this visit that Prince Siddhartha learned about people would get old and it was a suffering. After this visit, Prince Siddhartha went outside the palace for another three more times. During these visits, he saw a sick man, a dead man and a holy man. Prince Siddhartha then realised he too, would have to go through the suffering of getting old, sick and finally dead. At the age of 29, Prince Siddhartha decided to leave his comfortable life in the palace and follow the spiritual path in order to seek the truth and the way to get out of suffering.
Searching for the Truth and Enlightenment
After leaving the palace, Prince Siddhartha became a wandering ascetic under the guidance of two teachers, Arada Kalama and Rudraka Ramaputra. He engaged in extreme prolonged fasts believing this would elevate the mind and the door to wisdom would open so he could find the truth. However, after six year of extreme asceticism, Prince Siddhartha still had not found the answer. He realised this was not the way, so he went to Bodhgaya and meditate under a Bodhi tree. At the age of 35, after meditating for 49 days, Prince Siddhartha gained enlightenment and found the way to cease the suffering. Since then, he was known as Shakyamuni Buddha, “The Sage of The Shakyas”.
Turning the Wheel of Dharma
After his awakening, Shakyamuni Buddha traveled to the Deer Park near Varanasi and gave his first discourse (also known as “The First Turning of The Wheel of Dharma”) to his first five disciples. This was the first time Shakyamuni Buddha taught the “Four Noble Truths”:
- The existence of suffering
- The cause of suffering
- The cause of suffering can end
- The path to the end of suffering
For the next 45 years, Shakyamuni Buddha traveled to different places in India and Nepal to give teachings to people from all walks of life.
Mahaparinirvana
At the age of 80, while he was in Kushinagar, Shakyamuni Buddha decided it was time for him to enter into parinirvana. As he laid on his right side facing west on the couch prepared by his disciples, he asked if they had any questions for him. No one had. He repeated the question for another two times, it was silent again. Finally, Shakyamuni Buddha uttered his last words, “Nothing lasts forever. You have to work hard to free yourself from suffering”. He then entered into a meditative state and passed away.
Fasting Buddha Shakyamuni. Click on image to enlarge or for more high resolution thangka downloads click here.
Buddha Shakyamuni and his Sixteen Arhat disciples. Click on image to enlarge or click here for more beautiful thangkas.
Buddha Shakyamuni and the 35 Confessional Buddhas. Click on image to enlarge or click here for more beautiful thangkas.
Sources:
- Administrator, “Buddha’s Life”, 29 November 2018, http://asianartnewspaper.com/buddhas-life/ (accessed 19 November 2019)
- “Who is Buddha”, http://www.aboutbuddha.org/english/who-is-buddha.htm/ (accessed 19 November 2019)
- “Gautama Buddha”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha (accessed 19 November 2019)
- “Buddhism”, http://web.csulb.edu/~cwallis/100/worldreligions/buddhism.html (accessed 19 November 2019)
For more interesting information:
- The Body of a Buddha: A Road Map to Liberation
- Life of Buddha in stunning paintings
- Must Watch: What is God? What is Buddha?
- How to Bless Buddha Images Yourself
- An Exquisite Pictorial Biography of Buddha Shakyamuni
- Beautiful Buddha Shakyamuni Thangka
- The Largest Buddha Shakyamuni in Russia | 俄罗斯最大的释迦牟尼佛画像
- Applicable Dharma Talks from Around the World
- Awaken Your Mind Series
- Sunrise Dorje Shugden Puja in Kechara Forest Retreat
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Shakyamuni Buddha was born around 2,500 years ago that lived in ancient India. Since he was born as the prince of the Shakyas, after his enlightenment he was known as “the Shakyamuni” or “the Sage of The Shakyas,” Interesting read from his life story how he gave up his royal life and embark on the spiritual path in search of the Truth. Shakyamuni Buddha left behind an incredible legacy for the world with the creation of Buddhism.
Thank you Rinpoche for this precious teachings.
Learning the essence of Buddhism and the truth meaning of Karma, we can liberate ourselves from suffering and temporary happiness from delusions.
Karma focuses on taking responsibility of what happens to us and make the necessary changes to our attitude to reduce the effects of suffering.
A short empowering teaching from H.E. Tsem Rinpoche.
Taking Refuge in the Buddha is accepting karma and taking responsibility , instead of doing what we have been habituated to do – blame others. The liberating aspect of accepting karma is knowing that we are the creators of our suffering and happiness. If we accept karma , then we can control our actions with purpose -to not create causes for further suffering, instead start taking steps to control our reactions to make sure they are positive to create causes for happiness.
This is such a positive blog.
I read two messages from this blog post. One, that we need to take responsibilities for our own karma. And second, karma can be improved, our life can be better.
Chinese has belief in Bazi, which basically says that one’s life is fixed from the moment one is born as according to the time of birth. If this is really the case, then there is no need to improve on anything, simply because ALL ARE ALREADY FIXED, we CANT CHANGE our destiny.
Reading this post gives me hope because when time is bad, situations can improve if we follow the doctrines of dharma.
I found this on Venerable Thubten Chodron’s homepage and would like share:
Homage to Shakyamuni Buddha
To the teacher, endowed transcendent destroyer, one thus gone, foe destroyer, completely and fully awakened one, perfect in knowledge and good conduct, one gone to bliss, knower of the world, supreme guide of beings to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, to you the Buddha, endowed transcendent destroyer, glorious conqueror Shakyamuni, I prostrate, make offerings and go for refuge. (3x)
When, O supreme among humans, you were born on this earth,
You paced seven strides,
Then said, “I am supreme in this world.”
To you, who were wise then, I bow.
With pure bodies, form supremely fine;
Wisdom ocean, like a golden mountain;
Fame that blazes in the three worlds,
Winner of the best — supreme guide, to you I bow.
With the supreme signs, face like the spotless moon,
Color like gold — to you I bow.
You are immaculate, the three worlds are not.
Incomparable wise one — to you I bow.
Great compassionate Protector,
All-knowing Teacher,
Field of positive potential and good qualities vast as
an ocean —
To the Tathagata, I bow.
Through purity, freeing from attachment,
Through virtue, freeing from the lower realms,
Unique, supreme ultimate reality —
To the Dharma that is peace, I bow.
Having freed themselves, showing the path to freedom too,
Well established in the trainings,
The holy field endowed with good qualities —
To the Sangha, I bow.
Do not commit any non-virtuous actions,
Perform only perfect virtuous actions,
Subdue your mind completely
This is the teaching of the Buddha.
A star, a mirage, a flame of a lamp,
An illusion, a drop of dew, a bubble,
A dream, a flash of lightning, a cloud —
See conditioned things as such!
Through this positive potential may sentient beings
Attain the state of all-seeing, subdue the foe of faults,
And be delivered from the ocean of cyclic existence,
Perturbed by the waves of ageing, sickness, and death.
It’s a short paragraph but it make me sitting there for an hour to reflect this on myself, and I realized something and would like to share:
I noted that complain make me very comfortable at that moment. Why comfortable? This is because I “Vomiting out” what I don’t like and what I don’t want to do and hope someone would do it, trying to get attention form others and trying hard not to take responsibility.
But after that moment and time pass I turn up to more unhappy because nothing change also. Why? This is due to chances for people would take over what you “Vomiting out” are almost zero (0). The worst part is I realized that during I am complaining, I am actually expressing negative thought and this turn to negative karma, and at the same time I am affect others with negative thoughts, then more negative karma there. Oh oh oh……. I had created so much negative karma. Therefore I decided from today onwards, I would keep remind myself the following:-
If you don’t like something, change it
If you can’t change it, change your attitude
Don’t complain
– Maya Angelou-
I think we should start “Complaint Free World” in Kechara, each time we complain we should donate RM5 to KWPC.
What’s amazing about Buddha Shakyamuni is that he was not a infallible god that had come to us but he was just like us in every aspect except his mind. He was once a man, with the same faults but over lifetimes of cultivation, he had attained perfection of mind called Enlightenment. Hence, through his state, he passes his teachings to us not a higher being but of one who had gone through the same path and have reached the goal.
Hence, we take refuge as Rinpoche says to his doctrine and the transformation of all the qualities that bring us down and makes us suffer. His doctrine is one that is practical and easy to relate because he is speaking from experience of having undergone the same suffering and the same afflictions like us. He overcame us and now leads us onto the path. Unfortunate for us, we just have to open our minds and hearts to see this path and with our own effort, walk on this path.
If the Buddha is too abstract a figure to see, we look unto real examples of those who follow Shakyamuni’s path like Rinpoche. His whole life is one suffering after another purely for the Dharma and finds no other joy than in pursuing the Dharma. Hence, a perfect example for us to follow and reading through Rinpoche’s life is like a modern adaptation of Buddha Shakyamuni’s life. So for those new and old in Buddhism should read and check out blog posts within here that Rinpoche relates his own experience. They are priceless gems of experience that will be inspirational for our own practice.
Dear Rinpoche
Thank you for this post. Though it’s a short paragraph but it encapsulates what being a Buddhist is all about. This is what I will forward to my friends if they wonder what Buddhism is and what the journey as a Buddhist entails. Some people freaks out when presented with the concept that they are the author of everything they experience and the only way out is if they clean up the mess themselves. It’s our own responsibility! Some people finds it empowering to know that because they are the author and creator of their current situation, they can rewrite the script and create a new life. I pick to rewrite the script!
I remember Rinpoche teaching us one day during one of our book talks on the life story of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. It blew my mind when Rinpoche explained in detail in which watch(a time span of two hours in the ancient Indian time system) of the night prior of Buddha Shakyamuni’s enlightenment. I’ll try my best and summarize below:
1st watch of the night:
Buddha perceived the past lives of himself from his current life back till the very beginning.
2nd watch of the night:
Buddha perceived the past lives of every sentient being, from that existence until their very beginning
3rd watch of the night:
Buddha saw how all sentient beings and Himself were interdependent on each other
Crack of Dawn:
Buddha gained full Enlightenment, realizing every aspect of everything simultaneously. That realization is Anutara Samyaksambodhi, the highest realization of all realizations.
Many years ago, I have attended a Medicine Buddha initiation by the Late Lati Rinpoche. This initiation is very unique because the seven medicine buddha in this initiation are no the traditional buddha as per found in the sutra.
Lati Rinpoche said something that strike deep into my mind:
“As a buddhist one shall alway aspire to achieve more then your guru and the buddha of the past, because only by arising powerful aspiration you can deliver more sentimental beings”.
So as a buddhist, we shall aspire to accomplish more than Buddha Shakyamuni. Do not feel that you are powerless to surpass the buddha, for in buddhism the most important thing is to help all mother senimental beings and the more power your aspiration and accomplishment the more sentimental beings you can benefit.
Dearest Rinpoche,
The above is so beautiful the way you describe taking refuge and giving up everything to the BUDDHA. Its all about how we transform our mind to find the liberation from the 4 noble truth.
Your blog tonight is really active , its a real pleasure to be updated on every activities happening within Kechara and its people constantly, EVERY SINGLE Day after work i will surely log in to you blog to check on whats happening it has somehow becomes a norm in my daily life : ) .
I am glad to be able to read on all your teachings , feelings and whats important to you and you felt important to tell us of. I wish i will oneday be able to talk DHARMA with you and learn DHARMA from you in person. I am so thirsty of DHARMA knowledge and all practices within the tibetan buddhism. I remember once bump in to JP in Ladrang Kitchen , imagine in the kitchen ! JP told me and other volunteers to do work that revolves around Dharma , that doesnt take you away from Dharma ever ! So meaningful.
You can learn so much from all the liaison and people in kechara.
ckliew.